By Alison Rose Munn
When I arrived in Southwest Florida the sidewalks were littered with mangos that had fallen off trees overflowing with the tropical fruit. I couldn’t just let the fruit rot so I started looking into recipes starring mangos. One recipe I found used a mango salsa in fish tacos by Jessica Merchant. I was stopped by the words “fish tacos.” One of my favorite foods, I rarely find a gluten free fish taco while eating out. Especially not with fried fish. Beer battered fried fish. And so I had to try converting this recipe to gluten free – and it worked! So while I may not be able to enjoy fish tacos as most restaurants, I can at home.
A note about the beer - I’ve made this recipe a few times now and I have found that the type of gluten free beer does make a difference in how well the batter turns out. Omission is my favorite but for those who are highly sensitive to gluten need to be aware that the company cannot guarantee that their beer does not have any gluten in it. This is because the beer is made from barely and ewed using a process that removes gluten. (I am highly sensitive and have yet to have a reaction.)
A note about gluten free batter – It’s sticky. Keep a towel nearby to wipe excess batter off your hands.
FISH TACO INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup GF all-purpose flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp chipotle chili pepper
- 8-10 ounces GF beer
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 4 (4 ounce) cod filets
- 1 head Napa cabbage
- 1 lime
- corn tortillas
MANGO MARGARITA SALSA
- 1 mango, chopped
- ¼ onion, diced
- ½ jalapeno, seeded and diced
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- 1 ½ tsp silver tequila
- ¼ tsp salt
- pinch of sugar
JALAPENO CREMA
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ jalapeno, seeded and diced
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. Prepare the mango salsa by simply combining all the ingredients.
2. Prepare the jalapeno crème in a blender or food processor until blended.
3. Combine the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and chili powder. Pour in the beer and whisk until a smooth batter forms. (Don’t over pour the beer – that will make the batter too runny.)
4. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil. Dip the fish in the batter and coat it completely, then drop it in the skillet to fry. Let each piece of fish fry until the sides appear golden and crispy, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Gently remove the pieces with a spatula. Repeat with all the fish, adding more oil if needed.
5. In a small bowl, combine the cabbage and lime juice.
6. Warm the tortillas. Then add the fish, cabbage, salsa, crema, and enjoy!
